Sunday, February 19, 2012

Sister: Lauren Medina Forgot To Pay For Small Pumpkin At Moriarty Patch

POSTED: 10:00 am MST February 18, 2012

UPDATED: 10:16 am MST February 18, 2012

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. --According to court employees, a woman accused of stealing a $2 pumpkin will face a jury trial Tuesday.

Annette Atencio said she can't believe her 23-year-old sister, Lauren Medina, will actually have to go to trial over a pumpkin."I'm in disbelief -- the more I talk about it, the angrier I get," Atencio said.

Atencio said the charges stem from October 2011, when her sister went to McCall's Pumpkin Patch in Moriarty and forgot to pay for a small pumpkin.

Medina spent $75 that day on funnel cakes and other food, and then, Atencio said; her sister went on some hay rides in the back.

But, when Medina was leaving the property, Atencio said her sister picked up a small pumpkin and police approached her.

"(Medina) said, 'Oh my god, I'm so sorry. Can I pay for them?' (They said), 'Nope,' and she was handcuffed immediately -- end of story, no ifs or buts," Atencio said.

Medina was given an order to appear, and when she did, Atencio said her sister thought the charges would be dropped -- but that didn't happen.

Atencio said that Medina was given the option to plead guilty and do probation, and when she refused, the case will now head to a jury trial.

"(Medina) is a college student, and she's never been in trouble and never been arrested," Atencio said.

Moriarity Magistrate Judge Steve Jones is hearing the case, and a court employee said that just like every other case, the pumpkin theft case has to go through the court process.